Milk and Honey
by Script-Z
Summary: When Soi Fon chooses to go down an unfamiliar path will she find the proverbial land of Milk and Honey, or will she find herself heartbroken? YoruSoi, Yuri.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is a YoruSoi fanfic, that is to say a yuri pairing of Yoruichi and Soi Fon. If yuri isn't something you're into then I wouldn't recommend this to you. That said if you are into yuri, or rather, if yuri doesn't bother you, than I would highly recommend this to you. It will be romantic, but not in a childish way, at least I hope not. That doesn't mean it will be lewd. It also won't be full to the brim with a Duke of Sex Yoruichi, and a Soi Fon screaming "YORUICHI-SAMA" every other word with blush on her face I'm hoping for a more realistic story than that. I'm hoping to bring you a mature, well written fic with believable characters and reactions.

Okay, now some notes on the story itself. It takes place 5 years after the Aizen war, and I pretty much said "Fuck off FullBringers!" and started my story without their inclusion. Pretty much think of Aizen's defeat as the end of Bleach and the start of my fanfic. It is Soi Fon's story, not Yoruichi's, but don't think that I'll kick her to the curb, it just means that it'll take a while for me to get around to including Yoruichi in the story since, well, you'll see soon enough. Rated M for later chapters.

**Milk and Honey**

Soi Fon sighed; she had opened her eyes... why did she have to open her eyes. That meant she knew she was awake. Soi shifted slightly in her bed, then once more. 'No... I don't want to wake up...' She thought, fighting against her alertness and awareness. It was futile though and in the end all she managed to do was create a worse mess of her sheets than she would have had she just got up five minutes ago. With a small sigh of aggravation and annoyance she sat up in her bed and looked straight ahead seeing her desk which her paperwork sat on, piled high and staring her in the face.

A glance at her window showed that it was still dark out, presumably early morning since that is when she had conditioned herself to wake up. She sighed and ran her hands over her face, rubbing her silver eyes to try and wake herself up more. With one last act of defiance she laid back down on her bed but it wasn't even comfortable anymore. With a soft moan she grabbed a fistful of sheet and blanket, tossing it aside to show her dainty, toned, and horribly pale legs. Soi pivoted on her butt, sweeping her legs over the side of the bed. The floor was wonderfully warm against her feet, making her almost want to slip back into her bed, as she stood up to stretch and crack a few joints in her neck and back.

Finally awake, fully, Soi took stock of her room. Everything was in place, which was good considering the fact she locked her door every time she even thought about leaving, sleeping, or anything really. She noticed that she had accidentally tossed her sheets onto the floor when she woke up. Yawning, she picked them up, rolled them into a big ball and threw them onto her bed, while holding two corners so that in mid air the sheets would pop open and float down onto the bed. It looked lazily made when she did that, but she was starting to notice that it mattered less and less to her. With that done Soi let out another small yawn and took a few steps towards her closet, pulling out a standard Stealth Force uniform. Soi Fon took a deep breath and held the fabric close to her, as if hugging an invisible person 'I wonder what she is doing now.' With a shake of her head, and a mental scolding, she tossed the articles of clothing on top of her bed and pulled out from her closet a pair of loose fitting clothes. Soi began to strip out of her PJs and into the loose garb she used to work out in.

About halfway into her workout clothes Soi couldn't help but look at her spacious room. She hated to admit it, but she had been lucky in getting Omaeda in her squad, and lucky that he was skilled enough to be promoted to her Lt. He was an oaf, and slob, but he was trustworthy, and a fairly competent Soul Reaper. He was also rich enough to afford anything she could ask for. It was his money that paid for all the furnishings and remodeling the barracks of Squad 2 had seen. The state of the art training rooms, and gyms, the spa, the heated floors, the large courtyard, automatic doors, and even Soi Fon's personal quarters were all paid for by him. Soi's room was complete with a personal restroom, and training area. It was also a bit distanced from the rest of her squad. It was a bit lonely at times, but she was just happy to be able to keep her privacy.

Before she made her way over to the shower Soi had to start off her day with her morning usual. A work out that had gotten progressively less strenuous since the end of the winter war and Aizen's defeat. Still, it was still enough to keep her body, and mind fit. 2000 sit ups, 1000 pushups, 4000 leg lifts, 250 diamond pushups and, to top it all off, a fair bit of stretching to keep her joints loose. As she stood up from her last rep Soi let out a dainty sigh and wiped the sweat from her brow. "I guess I'm as awake as I'll ever be now." She said with her trademarked scowl etched across her face.

Her towel over her shoulder, and fresh pair of underclothes in her hand, Soi strolled into her private bathroom, locked the door behind her, and took a frigidly cold shower. It was an old habit that she had grown used to from her time with… her. As the icy water hit her pale, milky skin Soi couldn't help but think, 'I should really start taking hot showers again, it has been 105 years since these were necessary. Now they are just a reminder… a daily reminder.' She concluded that she probably wanted that reminder and mentally scolded herself again.

After a good forty minute shower in the cold water, Soi stepped out and began to dry herself. Still half-wet, and half-dressed, she made her way towards the sink and began to brush her teeth, and long, black hair, as well as give her face a good rinse. Soi gave herself one last look in the mirror before stretching her arms high above her head. She was ready for the day, or at least no longer able to go back to bed, not for a while anyway.

Soi made her way back to her room and slid into her Stealth Force uniform. It had a bare back, showed a fair amount of the side of her breasts, and had a slit showing some of her hips and panties. Still, it didn't so much make her look "sexy", as much as it extenuated how much her body was underdeveloped. She had lived lifetimes by mortal standards, but seemed to be "blessed" with a short stature, dainty limbs, a thin frame, and endowments that were modest at best. Still, it was a "standard" uniform for a reason; it didn't matter if she filled it out well or not.

Within a few minutes she slid her arms into a pair of long sleeves that came up to mid bicep, and stepped into a pair of traditional Chinese shoes with a pair of regular white socks covering her feet. Soi also pulled out a roll of white cloth and two golden rings. Since her hair was finally dry Soi Fon set in to braiding the exceptionally long parts, wrapping them in the white cloth, and tying the ends around the pair of golden rings. As she sat in front of a mirror doing this, her mind flashed to another pair of golden rings, a pair of golden eyes she knew well, 'Damn it Soi Fon!' She thought, mentally scolding herself for the third time that morning.

With nothing to do for a few hours, as it was still annoyingly early, Soi Fon simply walked over to her door, unlocked it, and then walked back over to her desk. She sat down at her desk, pulled out her pen and began to work at the paper work she was supposed to have done the day before. As she began carving her way through her work her mind began to drift to other things, as per usual recently. A sad smile crept across her face as she thought of a black cat chasing a bee. Quickly ending the thought Soi looked back at her paper work and noticed that she had extended her signature clean off the page by accident.

She scowled at it and put her head in her free hand, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Come on, what is wrong with me lately?" Soi Fon thought angrily to herself. Ever since the end of the war she had started to notice a change in her behavior. Well, it wasn't exactly at the end of the war, it was a gradual change, but still, it was a change. Soi Fon no longer felt driven to her work, or becoming more powerful, which wasn't to say she had become lazy and un-ambitious, she just found that it all didn't matter as much as it used to. Her priorities had shifted, to what she didn't know however, because even with her new state of mind she was still doing all the same things, and that was what seemed to upset her the most. 'I feel like I want to be doing something else, but I don't know what I want to do!' She sighed, 'I hate feeling like I'm just going through a routine, like I'm wasting my time…'

About three or so hours later Soi had sliced her way through about thirty-five or so pages, clearing up her past due work, as well as starting in on that day's. She leaned back in her chair; a cushioned leather one, another luxury taken out of Omaeda's bank account. She stared out the window, the sun was beginning to peek its shining rays out over the horizon, casting it in a yellow gleam while the rest of the sky was a dull blue.

Soi Fon stood and walked over to her closet. She grabbed and put on her Captain's Haori, tying a yellow obi around her waist, and tying her Zanpakuto to her obi. As a way to throw some change of pace into her day Soi had decided to teach a lesson to her newer subordinates, something she normally left for her Lt., or one of her other seated officers. Today though, she had nothing but paper work and free time so she thought it would be a good way to start the day.

After walking through the halls of her barracks for a good while she finally came to the back courtyard. There she saw her seated officers ranging from twentieth to sixth, and about 30 of her newer squad members all lined up in a tight rank and file. Soi Fon stepped in front of them, noticeably hard to see from the back rows due to her limited height. To counter this she had a high stage made, which is where she was heading to. Once atop the stage she was able to see everyone, with the opposite also being true. There were a few wasted minutes spent on formality, but soon Soi Fon began her lesson.

About an hour later, Soi Fon was nearing the end of her lesson. She could see that it had been physically taxing on some of them, and knew that some of them would come to resent her for her maniacal, physical demands, which was fine by her. Soi Fon liked a bit of hostility between subordinates and superiors, it was good for training. "In conclusion, remember; think of your comrade getting beat as an opportunity. Don't get in the middle of it. Stab from behind. If the difference in power between you and the enemy is so great that you cannot even do that, then let your comrade die right there. That is the way of the Onmitsukidō." Once again there were some closing formalities, but eventually Soi Fon found herself with nothing to do but go back to her paperwork.

Just as she was about to go finish her work she saw a hell butterfly make its way over to her. Soi put her finger out to catch to black butterfly and listened to its "urgent" message. Soi couldn't help but wonder what could be so urgent that a formal Captain's meeting had been called, but she wasn't one to question an order.

Soi quickly made it to the grand hall of the first squad, where all meetings between captains were held, and took her spot in the lineup. She had arrived fourth behind Unohana, Shunsui, and Ukitake, but she had a feeling that they were there the entire time. She awaited the rest of her Captains to arrive for about an hour before the Captain Commander spoke up. "I've been the head of this organization for longer than most of you were living," Soi mentally smirked at the relative word, "living", but continued to listen, "In that time I have seen many fine warriors come into our ranks, and many fall aside. I have also seen many enemies fall at our blades, and many claim our own as casualties." Yamamoto paused, and then continued. "Through all this time there has never been anyone able to replace me, for never has there been anyone as strong as I am."

Soi Fon furled her eyebrows, 'Don't tell me we came here simply to hear the Captain Commander boast about himself…' The old man continued, "That, however, is no longer the case. I called all of you here to say that I have decided to take a step back from my position and promote one of you as the new Captain Commander." Soi Fon's eyes widened and she could see she was not the only one shocked by the news, 'Now it makes sense. That is why Unohana, Shunsui, and Ukitake were all already here.' Since they were the most senior captains it only made sense that the title go to one of them. "As my replacement I have chosen Jushiro Ukitake. It is time for Soul Society to embrace a new era, and he will be the one to lead us all there." All eyes seemed to snap to the silver haired man, who seemed to simply cast his eyes forward and slightly down, a small smile on his lips.

Soi took the time to look from Ukitake to Unohana, who seemed to beam happiness at that particular moment. 'I'm shocked it isn't her. She was the most senior out of even the senior captains.' Then she remembered something, 'Ukitake is ill… that is why he can't seem to look anyone in the eyes. He feels he was given the lead as a courtesy, he dies off quickly and the title is handed off to Unohana or Kyoraku.' Soi Fon wouldn't ever say that Ukitake was a weak man, but her thought seemed to make the most sense.

After hours of even more formalities, and "I'm so honored…" speeches the whole spectacle came to a close. Yamamoto, for the first time, was the first to leave the hall; his face seemed to shine with pride as he did. Just as everyone was about to follow Ukitake called out. "Please, if everyone could just wait a minute, there is something I want to address." He seemed serious at that moment, and wearing the haori of squad one only seemed to extenuate his superiority. "I know there are those among you that may feel my promotion was given to me as a gift for my… condition. While I do not know how Yama came to the decision he did, I do know that I will do everything in my power to ensure that he made the right decision." There was quiet understanding in the room, and nothing more needed to be said. "So, um, you're all dismissed." He said, still unfamiliar with the power that came with the title.

Just as Soi was about to turn to leave she felt a hand grab her wrist. Turning quickly she saw that it was Ukitake. "Yes Ukita- I'm sorry. Yes Captain Commander?" She asked, slightly annoyed that he stopped her. Ukitake waited until they were alone before speaking, "Please, just Ukitake will be fine." He said with a smile.

"That can't be all you wanted to say. If you have a question, please ask." Soi Fon said.

"Fair enough." Ukitake paused, visibly uncomfortable. "Please, do not take this the wrong way, and by no means do I mean to pry, but are you sure this is where you want to be?"

Soi Fon furled her eyebrows, "Are you trying to tell me to leave? Is that really what you want your first act as Captain Commander to be?" She asked, slightly annoyed by his accusation.

"No, you misunderstand." He quickly replied, "It is just that, well, recently you have become distracted, your work is late, and your schedule is erratic, like there is someplace else you would rather be."

"And how would you know this?" Soi asked bluntly.

"My promotion was not taken lightly, it was first cleared with Central 46, at which point I began to receive status reports from all squads, and slowly I was given more responsibility. For about a month and a half Soul Society has effectively been operating with two Captain Commanders, even if it was only made official today." Ukitake sighed, "Like I said, I don't mean to pry, but, if there is someplace you would rather be I would not be against letting you go there. It is within my power to do so."

Soi Fon felt herself scowl a bit deeper but lightened when he realized what he was getting at. "I… Thank you for the offer, but I'm not sure I'm welcome anywhere but here. She… didn't seem interested. I have not even heard from her in these five years since… We even shared the battle field that very day and I think she barely said two things to me in passing… and I passed her more than twice." Soi Fon looked off to the side; part sad, but mostly embarrassed. "I don't mean to worry you with my… whatever you would call this. You swore to be the best Captain Commander, allow me to swear to be the best Captain I can be, that is really all I can do."

Ukitake sighed, he wanted to try and comfort the visibly hurt Soi Fon, but he didn't think it was his place to. They were not that close, Soi Fon always seemed to make it a point to distance herself from everyone, except for one person, which is why he brought up the subject in the first place, but now it seemed to have backfired. "I'm sorry, I had no idea. If you ever want to-"

Soi Fon cut him off, "Thank you, but I'll be fine. I don't need pity. I don't want it."

"It wasn't pity, it was sympathy." Ukitake tried to say.

"A fancy word to mean the same thing." Soi Fon retorted quickly. With a sigh she stated, "I promise to refocus my attention back to the matters at hand. Now, if that is all."

As Soi Fon turned to leave Ukitake called after her, "Soi Fon… If you ever change your mind, I won't stop you from going where you want to."

Soi Fon didn't even look back as she left.


	2. Chapter 2

**Milk and Honey**

Soi Fon walked out of the main hall of squad one into a hallway. It seemed that even though she had lingered longer than she would have liked she was not the only one still there. Out in the hall stood Captain Shunsui Kyoraku. "You know," He began to say, his eyes were hidden in the shadow of his hat, but a smile was clearly visible on his lips, "Ukitake has a point, you've been captain less than a century, and even you should know that most of that time was spent with one thing on your mind."

Soi Fon was visibly annoyed now, she already heard this once, she didn't need to have it beaten over her head wherever she walked. "I'm not in the mood Kyoraku. Don't you have a skirt to chase, or do you enjoy eavesdropping on other Captains?"

Shunsui smiled and rubbed the stubble of his chin. "I'm not trying to insult you, and trust me, I would much rather a pretty thing like you stay here with us," He smiled wider when he saw Soi Fon furl her eyebrows and give him a trademark glare. "What I mean to say is this. Some people have odd ways of expressing how they feel for another person; it might be in your best interest to at least… test the waters, so to speak." He pushed himself up off the wall and shrugged his shoulders, "I mean, replacing the Captain of the Stealth Force as well as the Captain of squad two isn't something that could happen overnight, in fact, it might take a while… long enough for a certain little lady to see if the grass is greener on the other side." With that Shunsui turned to leave, "Besides, if that little lady happened to come back, I'm sure we still wouldn't have found a replacement. Food for thought."

Soi Fon couldn't deny her interest, her mind lighting like wildfire with all the sparks of emotions. 'Stop it Soi Fon, they mean well, but they are uninformed,' She thought, letting out a heavy sigh as she began to walk towards her barracks. 'I'm not the little girl I was a century ago. I'm not even the same woman I was five years ago. She isn't my goddess; I'm past that point in my life. She… is past that point in her life.' Soi Fon had to admit that last part hurt to even think.

A brief time later, Soi Fon once again found herself staring down a stack of paperwork. It had been a few hours since the end of the meeting and a little less than that since she had returned to her desk, but she only seemed to finish one page. 'Damn them…' She thought with her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she stared out her window, darkness beginning to set in, 'I'm not a bad captain, no worse than Mayuri with his experiments, or Kenpachi with his brutality, or even Kyoraku with his laziness, and my skill on the field of battle shouldn't be cause for concern at all… So why then does it seem they want me gone?' Soi thought bitterly. 'They don't know how I feel, it isn't their place to give me advice on matters they don't know… but why then do I still feel like I want to take Ukitake up on his offer? I should be past this.' Soi Fon stood up. "I just need some air." She said aloud, her voice slightly strained from the hours she had not used it. She cleared her throat before continuing. "Some clean air will help me sort things out."

After a bit of walking Soi Fon found herself someplace she clearly remembered telling herself to avoid. She was in the middle of a forest, surrounded on all sides by cherry blossom trees. It was the setting for one of her fondest memories, but all it seemed to do now was bring back a flood of emotions, most of which were bad ones. Soi Fon felt her body shake as she bit back a sob. Soon, though, she knew she would not be able to fight them so she walked over to the trunk of one of the trees and sat down at its base. Another silent sob escaped her throat as Soi Fon brought her left hand up to her face to cover her mouth. It had been some time since she cried, but she made sure that next time she did it would not be the same, ugly screech she displayed last time.

Soi sat in the same position for ten minutes before she felt she had cleared out her emotions. Just as she was about to stand she heard someone next to her. She quickly shot her head in its direction, eyes burning with anger. This was their spot, and she was damned if she was going to let someone invade it, even if that person was, "Byakuya Kuchiki… what is it you want here?" She asked, her words laced with venom.

"Forgive me my intrusion. I had no idea anyone knew of this place but me." He said, calm as still water.

"That doesn't answer the question." Soi said, turning her back to the other captain in an attempt to hide the fact that she was wiping away tears trails. "And your answer better not involve me in any way." She concluded, fed up with the "help" some of the other captains seemed so keen on giving her that day.

There was a long pause and Soi turned to see that Byakuya was still there, his hand resting on the trunk of one of the cherry blossom tress. "I can assure you it doesn't." He said slowly. "This place holds a dear memory of mine. It is the place where I proposed to Hisana."

Soi Fon felt her cheeks run red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… I'll leave you alone." Soi said, uncharacteristically fumbling on her words.

Byakuya turned to her at that point. "Soi Fon…" He paused regaining his regal mannerisms. "Soi Fon, I realize that after Ukitake and Kyoraku you are most likely not in the mood, however, I will say this, if there was any way for me to reunite with Hisana, I wouldn't hesitate to take it, no matter how hard it would be… even if it meant telling her about all the promises I broke."

Soi Fon tensed, she had no idea how he knew about her conversation with Ukitake and Kyoraku, but his words rang true. Plus there was the fact that Byakuya and "her" actually did share a friendship, if heavily strained. "Would you give up all of this for Hisana, even if you were unsure if she would take you back?" Soi asked in a voice softer than usual.

Byakuya replied quickly, "Without her the best food tastes of vinegar, and with her even the air is sweet. To answer your question, yes, because 'all of this' is nothing compared to another day at her side."

Soi nodded her head, "Thank you Kuchiki, you've given me a lot to think about. I'll leave you be." With that Soi Fon turned and began her journey to the squad one barracks, she needed to discuss the matter with Ukitake.

Soi Fon strolled up to a pair of large doors and calmly rapped her knuckles against it. On the other side she could hear things being moved around, and a few voices bickering. She knocked once again, this time louder. "Y- Yes, please come in Soi Fon." She heard Ukitake say, slightly distracted. 'He must have felt my spiritual signature outside his door.' Soi thought casually as she entered.

Once inside Soi Fon caught sight of Kiyone and Sentaro, both with pleading looks on their faces. "Please, Captain, you have to take us over with you!" They screamed in unison. Ukitake had a smile on his face as he tried to calm down his former subordinates. "I will, I will, it is just that, for the time being, it will be best for you two to help ease the new Captain into the thirteenth squad, especially since I need to adapt to my new position as well."

"But you can just leave Sentaro there and take me now!" Kiyone replied.

"Yea, wait, what?" Sentaro and Kiyone once again went at each other.

"Captain Commander!" Soi Fon said, voice full of the authority it was capable of commanding. The two soul reapers in front of her quieted down and quickly showed their respect to Soi Fon with a salute. "I would like to discuss something with you in private." Soi Fon said, still addressing Ukitake, who was now unsure if he should share Soi Fon's serious disposition.

"Of course, Captain Soi Fon." He looked to his former subordinates, "Kiyone, Sentaro, leave us for now." Ukitake said. The two of them bowed to Ukitake and exited the large room, with Kiyone as far away from Soi Fon as possible. The two of them shared a violent, and horribly one sided past experience.

Soi Fon thought nothing of it and got right to the point. "Ukitake, I would like to accept your offer, if you are still willing to allow me the option." Soi said, her face deadpan, but still a bit unsure if she was making a mistake or not.

"Ah, so you have reconsidered?" Ukitake asked with a pleasant look on his face.

"More like others reconsidered for me, but I'm not here to argue semantics." Soi Fon replied bluntly.

"Either way, I'm glad you have decided to go." Ukitake continued.

"Well now, don't I feel welcome here…" Soi Fon said, slightly insulted by Ukitake's willingness to get her out of the Gotei 13.

"No, it isn't that. It's just that this may be a better life for you." Ukitake insisted.

Soi Fon shrugged, "I wouldn't count on it. I will follow this road and see where it takes me, but I don't expect to find the proverbial land of milk and… honey." She trailed off after realizing the hidden, oddly specific meaning in the phrase.

"Yes, well, it will only take a second. As a new Captain Commander I am allowed direct control over the military, without any interference from Central 46. That means I can make up rules as I go along, so long as they only affect the military situation of the Soul Society, and the first rule I signed into law was the ability for Captains to retire when they want to, not when they are deemed unneeded, so long at the Captain Commander agrees to it." Ukitake said, pulling out a packet of paper.

He waved Soi Fon closer so she could look at the paper. "More paperwork before I go?" She asked, almost not surprised.

"No, it is a contract, something simple, but necessary after the Aizen incident. It simply states that you will relinquish all titles you have, as well as swear to never become, or side with, an enemy of Soul Society, nor can you cause mayhem anywhere, so on and so forth. Honestly, it is pretty common sense stuff, but failure to abide by the rules will brand you an enemy to the state, which… wouldn't be so good." Ukitake handed Soi Fon a pen.

Soi was a bit hesitant to put pen to paper, 'Shunsui made it sound much less black and white.' She thought before calmly voicing her concern, "So, I have to sign over my position? What if-" Soi was cut off when Ukitake simply gestured to the roaring fireplace behind him. Understanding washed over her and she quickly signed her name. As she did Ukitake reached out and poked her left shoulder with his finger. Soi felt a searing in her skin. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. "What was that?" She asked, quickly pulling back her haori to reveal the insignia for squad two, Pasque flower.

Ukitake could sense that Soi Fon was a bit upset, "Yes, it is a Captain's Seal, but it is heavily modified. It is more of a tracking device than it is anything else. It can restrict your powers, but only when I give the order which would only be deemed necessary if you decided to do something ill advised. At that point though, the seal would be the least of your worries."

"It would have been nice to know that before I signed that paper." Soi said still slightly upset, though she knew she would have signed anyway.

"One last thing, the haori, I'm going to need it, and, if everything works out, you won't." Ukitake said.

Soi Fon nodded and pulled off her yellow obi, then pulled off her now loose Captain's haori, putting it on top of Ukitake's desk. Soi felt a cool breeze nip at her bare back but paid it no mind. She retied the yellow obi around her waist and took a step back. "Is that all, or is there more fine print that you failed to point out?"

Ukitake smiled, "No, you're now free to do what you please, as a former Captain you have the right to travel between the Rukongai as well as Soul Society, but I expect that there is someplace else you would rather be in the world of the living. If you need to get anything from your quarters I can meet you at the Senkaimon"

Soi shook her head, "No, I don't have any personal belongings, save for clothes that will be useless to me in the world of the living. I am fine to leave right now, and I am fine to do so on my own."

Ukitake nodded his head. "Well then, I wish you luck on your journey."

Soi Fon turned to leave but stopped for a second. "Tell… my squad that I said goodbye. I want them to know that I said goodbye." She took a few steps then turned around to say something else. "And for whatever it is worth, I do not give my support for Omaeda to replace me."

With that Soi Fon made her way out of the room. On her way out she saw Kiyone in the hall, who seemed to shrink under the weight of Soi Fon's scowl. For a second Soi Fon thought about walking right by her. Under normal circumstances she would have, but there was a chance she would not be coming back, and anecdotal experience led Soi Fon to have strong feelings against leaving on bad terms with someone.

Soi Fon walked up to the young soul reaper, quite possibly the only one shorter and less developed than Soi Fon herself. Kiyone took a step back for every one Soi Fon took forward until she came to a wall. "Kiyone, I'm not here to attack you. I'm here to apologize, in a way." Soi Fon started, grabbing Kiyone's attention, "While I feel my actions were justified at the time, I will apologize for the fervor of my reaction, and the things I may have said."

Kiyone looked up at Soi Fon, a bit shocked and awed by what she had heard, 'The heartless Captain of squad two just apologized to me?' Kiyone shook her head, "Um, yes, I mean, I, uh, forgive you?"

Soi Fon deepened her scowl, "Was that a question?"

"No ma'am." Kiyone shot out quickly, "I'm sorry."

Soi Fon rubbed her temple and let out an annoyed sigh. "Now you're apologizing to me… Kiyone, I didn't mean for this to be complicated, I simply wanted to clear any grievances you may have had."

Kiyone nodded, "Ma'am, if I may ask, why? You're a superior, you don't need to clear anything, and I never asked…"

Soi Fon shrugged, "I don't want to leave without tying up loose ends. I know how it feels to be one." With that Soi Fon turned to leave.

"Captain Soi Fon, I forgive you." Kiyone said, her face as serious as it could be.

Soi Fon nodded, "I'm glad." She said, though her icy tone and scowl seemed to tell a different tale.

With her conversation with Kiyone over there remained only one thing to do, leave. Soi Fon walked towards the large gate of the Senkaimon with a hint of aggravation, though that was nothing new. 'Always big, everything is always grandiose here. Maybe I could get used to-' She began to think, though she wouldn't allow herself to even think about getting used to being away forever. It was hard to tell if she had reservations about leaving, or if she was scared that she would be coming back at "her" request. 'Either way,' Soi thought, pulling out her Zanpakuto and opening the gate, 'I've nothing left to do but move forward.'


	3. Chapter 3

**Milk and Honey**

Soi Fon stepped out of Soul Society and into the world of the living. The sky was bathed in darkness, save for the less-than full moon in the sky. Soi took a deep breath, then another, then once more. By her seventh inhale she had realized what she was doing and felt entirely foolish.

'Now, where could she be?' Soi thought as she started to walk down the sidewalk of a small road. 'Wait, should I just go to her now… what would I say? 'Hi, I've given up everything to see if… you know...'' Soi Fon felt a pit in her stomach but never stopped walking, or scanning for her spiritual signature. 'What if I find her and she says no, I'll look like a fool if I return within the same hour.' Still walking, 'But I can't just stay here and do nothing, I either go to her, or I leave.' She scanned a wider range and felt a familiar twang in the air. Immediately she pulled back from it, 'Its… no, I'll wait. I can't see her now, and I know I can't wait forever, but I'm not ready, and I want to do this right. If there is no middle ground I'll make one now. I'll-' A thought hit her like a ton of bricks, 'Urahara!' She happily thought. 'Urahara…' She thought bitterly.

With a sigh she scanned again, looking for her former college's spiritual signature. 'If I can find him I'm sure I can find her, but at least I won't have to deal with seeing her right away. Plus, I'm sure he will be able to help…' She sighed audibly, him helping her just didn't feel right to Soi Fon, 'he will be able to help me adapt to this world.' With that final thought Soi Fon was finally able to latch onto his signature. It wasn't with her either, leading Soi Fon to wonder where in fact Urahara was, if not with her. 'I'll find out soon enough.'

Soi Fon had spent a great deal of her life resenting, and hating Urahara. When she was younger it was due to his closeness to her "goddess" but her worries were put to rest some time ago, at least, worries concerning her "goddess". Her question had opened Soi Fon up to a new set of worries.

Her mind flashed to a distant memory, "Urahara, can I ask you a question?" A young Soi Fon asked the lean, young man in front of her.

The blond turned around and looked at the uncomfortable girl. "Uh, yes Soi Fon. You can ask me whatever you want, you're the Lieutenant. I'm a third seat."

Soi Fon nodded, "Yes, I know. I was just wondering…" Her face flushed red, "Are you, umm," Her mind raced, thinking of a way to hide the true intensions of her query, "Are you single?"

Urahara stood still for a moment, his face turning about as red as Soi Fon's, "I, um…" His face seemed to calm, and he softened up, "I am Soi Fon, but I don't think that you and I would work out well together. That isn't to say that you are not a very beautiful and-"

Soi Fon was ecstatic for about two seconds before she heard him continue, "Wait, no, you misunderstand, I wasn't asking you, I mean, I was, but it wasn't for!"

Soi Fon sighed as she made her way over to where she felt Urahara. 'How stupid of me.' She thought shaking her head. It was that debacle that led to years of constant insinuation from "her" that Soi Fon and Urahara shared feelings for one another. Everyone realized that she didn't, but it didn't stop the jokes from being any less insulting.

Still, even that she could have forgiven the man for. What made Soi Fon despise the man was the fact that it was his fault she left. When Soi Fon was unable to blame "her", she blamed him. It was only a few years ago that she realized the real reason that Urahara and her left. The Vizards, and Aizen's first betrayal. Soi Fon sighed, it was only recently she was able to let go of the hate she had for him. It was hard to hate someone so damn noble in cause, even if he was the reason for so much of her pain.

"Well, here I am." Soi Fon said aloud, looking at a small shop. "I never pictured him as a shopkeeper." Soi Fon said, glancing up towards the large sign that bore his name.

"Is that so?" A smooth voice asked.

Soi Fon calmly brought her attention from the sign to the man leaning against a door frame wearing an ugly hat and a pair of clogs. "Yes it is, I never thought of you having enough business sense to run a company." Soi stated, taking a few steps towards the man.

"Soi Fon, if you're here to finally drive a blade through my heart I've got to say, you're getting sloppy with what you do." He opened a fan and brought it to his face, "I mean, front door, talking loud, no focus." He shut the fan once again and pointed it at Soi Fon, "I'll give you credit for coming at night, and for masking your spirit pressure so well, which I assume has something to do with that Captain's Seal."

Soi Fon felt herself scowl without even forcing herself to. "Kisuke, if I wanted to kill you the only thing you would've seen would have been the smile on my face right as drove my blade into your chest for my second sting, and only because I allowed you to."

Urahara seemed to beam with joy, "Why Soi Fon, I feel so honored. When you used to make that threat it was with a kunai, or at best a sealed Zanpakuto! Now it seems you feel I deserve to die by your Shikai!"

Soi Fon shook her head, "Are we done with pleasantries? I don't enjoy wasting time."

"Is that what you would call it?" Urahara asked with a smile.

"My hand isn't on the hilt of my Zanpakuto. I figure I'm being very pleasant at the moment." Soi Fon retorted.

"Fair enough." Kisuke said as he pushed himself off the door frame. "So, my little friend," A deep scowl told him he was being a bit liberal with the word, or maybe it was "little" that set her off. Either way he continued, "to what do I owe this most 'pleasant' of visits?"

Soi Fon tensed, she was so distracted that she never stopped to think of a good lie to tell him. "I…" She let out a long sigh, lying was out of the question, Kisuke would just catch her anyway, he had a knack for it. Soi looked at the blond in front of her and told the truth, "I won't lie to you. There was a time when I hated you." The statement caught Urahara off guard. "But I'm doing my best to move past that, for everyone's sake."

Urahara regained his composure and smiled, "So, does this mean that all those years of teasing were actually true?"

Soi Fon felt her fist ball up, "I'm trying to be serious…" Soi gritted out through clenched teeth. After a deep breath she continued, "I need your help, at least for right now."

Urahara shrugged, "I guess I could help out an old friend, what do you need exactly?"

Soi Fon walked closer to the man, no longer feeling like calling out from across the courtyard. "I will be staying in the world of the living for an indeterminate amount of time, and since you live here now, I figured you would be a good person to ask for advice. It is not helpful to be a wandering spirit, scaring dogs and… other animals."

Urahara waved Soi Fon inside. The two of them walked through the dark until they came to a kitchen. Urahara pulled out a seat for Soi Fon, and took one for himself. "Sure, I could help you. What exactly do you need, a living body? Clothes?"

Soi Fon took a seat, and nodded as Urahara talked, "And a place to stay, if that is okay with you."

"I would be willing to give you a gigai and an extra room, if you were willing to work for it that is." He said with a devilish smile on his face.

Soi Fon stared at him blankly, "I can't stay here, not with… her able to come in and out, as I'm sure she does. Do you have another place?"

Urahara was once again taken aback. "What do you mean 'her'? Yoru-"

"I mean her!" Soi Fon seemingly growled through clenched teeth. Soi took a second to catch her breath, then looked down. She was standing up, her seat thrown back from the force she used to stand. "I'm sorry…" She said softly, "I didn't mean to do that." She said picking up her chair and sitting back down, her face tinged pink with embarrassment.

Urahara's face was serious at that point. "Soi Fon, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for destroying what you had. I'm sorry for taking her… I'm sorry for not even saying goodbye."

Soi Fon felt a frog in her throat. She wanted to scream at him, 'That was supposed to be her line, you prick, you took her line! She was supposed to tell me that!' her mind roared. "Its… I forgive you, I already forgave you. I wouldn't be here otherwise." Soi said, each word feeling like a weight lifted off of her chest.

"You may have forgiven me, but I never said I was sorry." Urahara replied.

Soi Fon could feel herself losing a fight against a sob stuck in her throat. "Its," She let out a cough to disguise the lump in her throat and quickly changed the subject, "Its fine, now what exactly is a Gigai?"

Urahara picked up on her hint and followed along with the change in subject. "A gigai is a synthetic body. It will allow you to, for the most part, be human."

"Will it look like me?" She asked.

"Yup, so long as you take one that has never been used it will reshape itself to your soul." Urahara said. He stood up and began walking towards the back of his shop, motioning for Soi Fon to follow. "I can give you one now, then I'll show you an apartment that I own, you can stay there for as long as you want."

Soi Fon followed close behind, and listened to the man. "Thank you Kisuke."

About half an hour later Soi Fon and Kisuke found themselves underneath street lights, walking down a city street. "This damn thing is uncomfortable, are you sure this one isn't, I don't know, broken or something?" Soi Fon said, cracking a few joints in her neck in an attempt to stretch out her new "body". Soi Fon walked with a steady pace, her small strides never causing her fall behind. "And did you have nothing else to give me but baggy shirts and green pants?"

Kisuke nodded, "It is totally natural to feel like that. Don't think of a gigai like a shoe." Soi Fon looked confused by the statement so Kisuke explained. "If your foot is exactly 7 inches you will get a shoe that is 7 and a half inches long so you can have room. A gigai however is an exact replica of you, it doesn't give you any wiggle room, effectively constraining you inside of yourself, and you're not the biggest package to be wrapped up in." He then gave her a sideways glance, "As for the clothes, well, it was either my clothes, Tessai's, Jinta's or Ururu's. You would never fit into Tessai's clothes, I would feel bad if I made you look even more boyish by putting you in Jinta's, and I would feel even worse if I gave you one of Ururu's school girl outfits. That left only my clothes, besides, just imagine all the jokes I have in store for you. I mean, after years of teasing you're finally in my pants, I guess you get the last laugh." Urahara couldn't help himself and let out a long chuckle.

Soi Fon deepened her frown at the last part, "Har har Kisuke. And I'm not sure of the last time you've seen me, but all my shoes fit tight on me." She said, making a weak point just so he could be wrong. 'Speaking of size, I thought the world of the living would be free of all the giant structures of the Soul Society, but these buildings are just as large! And these are full of people living in them.' The thought wracked her brain; so many people packed so tight, 'A hollow would have a field day if it got into one of those halls, that can't be safe. Speaking of which…' Soi spoke up, "Hey, Urahara, why haven't I seen any hollows, is this town's defender just that good?"

Kisuke chuckled, "Well, I don't want to bore you with details, but there was a time when this place was the center for the spiritually aware, an Ouken hot spot." Soi nodded, remembering that fact. "This made the spot the number one target for hollows. After Aizen's defeat however, the spot moved, and so did the hollows. Not only that but this area didn't just drop from first place on the most wanted list to second. Nope, it went straight to zero, the only hollow you'll find here is probably lost."

"Hmm, makes sense I guess, with no other hollows to interfere the guardians need only worry about giving the recently dead a soul burial, which should be no trouble at all." Soi said, now understanding the situation. 'Guess I can't just say I was here to ward off some hollows if I see her before I'm ready.'

Urahara stopped, "Well, here we are." He handed her a key. "It is apartment 2B, only the second floor so if you set fire to something you can just jump out a window and not hurt yourself. To that point everything should have a manual, if you don't understand how something works, or operates you can read up on it. It usually comes in many languages so it's your pick between Japanese, and Chinese, or even English or Spanish."

Soi Fon grabbed the key and once again deepened her frown, "Har har Urahara…" She said again, this time a bit more harsh.

"Well, I guess, I'll see you later?" Urahara said turning away.

"Yes, I expect that you will. Also, Kisuke, don't tell her I'm here. This weird seal seems to keep my spiritual pressure under lock and key better than I expected, and I would like to take advantage of that." Soi Fon called out to him.

Urahara stopped, "You should go see her, whenever you feel up to it. I don't claim to know how you two felt about each other, but I do know that she cared for you. She treated you like a little sister, I'm sure she would love to see you."

Soi Fon felt like she was punched in the gut, the words 'like a little sister' playing in her head over and over, mocking her. "Yea, I will…" She cleared her mind as best she could and continued, "Thanks for everything Kisuke. You didn't have to help me, but you did, even after all the mean things I've said. You're a better man than I gave you credit for." Soi Fon said as she slowly turned to enter the apartment building.

"And you're kinder than I gave you credit for. I don't know if you were always hiding it behind that cold front you're so good at giving, but it is nice to see you acting warmer around someone other than her." Kisuke replied, "I hope you find what you're looking for here. Please, let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

With that the two parted ways, Soi Fon ducking into the lobby of the apartment building, and Urahara heading back to his shop in the dead of night.


End file.
